Support means for a cover



Feb. 15, 1966 w. E. HALL SUPPORT MEANS FOR A COVER Filed Jan. 29, 1965 INVENTOR. WARREN E. HALL am A/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,235,213 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,235,213 SUPPORT MEANS FOR A COVER Warren E. Hall, 321 S. Hamilton, Rt). Box 2451 (Miller Station), Gary, Ind. Filed Jan. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 429,086 4 Claims. (Cl. 248146) The subject invention relates generally to containers and more particularly is directed to means whereby to facilitate manipulation of a cover relative to a container such as a refuse can.

One of the important objects of the invention is to provide an elongate support for a cover or closure with means at one of its extremities whereby the support may be adjustably connected to a mounting, and means at its opposite or free extremity for supporting a cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elongate support with a handle intermediate its extremities whereby to facilitate manipulation of the support and cover as a unit.

A significant object of the invention is to design and construct the means for adjustably connecting the support to the mounting in such a manner that the support may be readily manipulated to a substantially vertical position relative to the mounting and away from a container or to a substantially horizontal position to place the cover on the container.

Other objects of the invention reside in providing an organization which offers advantages with respect to preservation of a cover and its manipulation whereby to facilitate use of a refuse can, manufacture and assembly, efficiency and durability.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent after the description hereinafter set forth is considered in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a carriage or vehicle carrying a pair of refuse cans, with mountings at the ends of the carriage and elongate supports respectively connected to the mountings and supporting covers for the cans;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating certain details of the components;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the elongate supports showing the mode of operatively connecting an inner extremity thereof to a mounting and the mode of connecting a cover to its outer or free extremity; and

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the structure exemplified in FIGURE 3 with a portion of the cover broken away.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGURE 1, there is shown a carriage or a vehicle provided with a lower structure carrying a pair of refuse containers 1, a pair of substantially corresponding mountings or vertical uprights generally designated 2 and a pair of elongate structures or supports generally designated 3 respectively connected to the mountings and carrying covers or olosures 4 for the containers.

The carriage preferably includes a bottom wall 5, a pair of corresponding longitudinally extending side rails 6, a pair of corresponding transverse end members 7, and brackets 8 extending below the bottom wall respectively supporting wheels 9 whereby to facilitate movement of the carriage where desired. The side rails and end members are preferably made from angle iron.

Each of the mountings 2 is preferably made in the form of a generally rectangular frame comprised of a pair of corresponding corner posts 10. Each of these posts is preferably constructed from angle iron having an end flange portion 11 provided with an aperture at its lower end and a side flange portion 12 provided with a lower apertured offset 13, with fastening means, preferably in the form of bolts 14 and 15 extending through the apertures and through the side rails 6 and end members 7 for detachably securing the corner posts in place. Each of corner posts is preferably reinforced by a lower cross brace 16 secured to the lower extremities of the corner posts, an upper cross brace 17 secured to the upper extremities of the posts and by an intermediate cross brace 18 secured to the posts. The braces may be constructed as desired but, as shown, the upper and intermediate braces are identical and made from channel stock whereas the lower brace is made from flat strip stock. These braces are preferably secured to the corner posts by spot welding but may be connected thereto in other ways, such as by bolts or screws. Each of the mountings is preferably provided with vertically disposed guide means generally designated 19. As depicted, particularly in FIG- URE 2, each guide means includes a pair of spaced vertical corresponding guide members 20. Each of the members 20 is preferably constructed from angle iron having an end flange portion 21 and an inturned flange portion 22. A bolt 23 or equivalent means preferably extends through the lower extremity of each end flange portion 21 of each guide member and through each end member 7 and upper portions of the flange portions 21 are preferably welded or otherwise secured to the upper and intermediate braces so that the guide members are firmly or rigidly located on the mounting or frame.

It will be observed that the inturned flange portions 22 of the guide members are disposed in a preedtermined spaced parallel relation and that each inturned portion adjacent its upper extremity is preferably provided with an apertured lug or ear 24 through which a bolt 25 or other locking element transversely extends. Attention is directed to the fact that the upper transverse terminal marginal edges of the inturned flange portions 22 constitute abutment means 26, the purpose of which will be explained subsequently.

Each of the elongate structures or supports 3, above referred to, may be designed and constructed in various ways but, as exemplified, each preferably includes an elongate channel member 27 having a bottom Wall 28 and a pair of side walls 29. Each support is preferably pro vided with an elongate guideway 30, a handle 31 and extension means 32, the latter of which is provided with means for detachably connecting the cover 4 to the support.

The guideway 39 is preferably constructed from an elongate strip of flat stock having a longitudinal portion 33 and a pair of offset ends 34, the latter of which are preferably secured to the inner under surface or side of the bottom wall 28 of the channel member by welding as indicated at 35 so that the longitudinal portion and offset ends in combination with the support define the guideway 30 through which the bolt or locking element 25, above referred to, extends for the purpose of pivotally and slidably connecting an inner extremity of the support to the mounting.

The handle 31 may be constructed as desired but is preferably constructed from a strip of fiat stock to form a longitudinal portion 36 and offset ends 37, the latter of which are preferably fixedly secured to the upper surface or side of the support by welding as indicated at 38.

The extension means 32 may be constructed as desired but, as shown, is preferably comprised of a pair of substantially flat or planar elongate members or strips 39 having inner extremities which are welded or otherwise secured to outer surfaces of the side walls 29 of the support and so that outer extremities extend outwardly and beyond the outer end of the support. Attention is directed to the fact that the marginal terminal ends of the side members 37 provide abutment means 40, the purpose of which will be explained subsequently. The outer extremities of the side members 39 are preferably respectively provided with pairs of apertures and fastening means preferably in the form of bolts 41 which extend through the apertures and through a handle 42 on the cover 4 whereby the cover may be detachably connected to the support. Attention is directed to the fact that the handle 42 of the cover is substantially confined within the side members and that the aforesaid organization provides a relatively stabilized loose connection between the cover and support so that the cover may readily adjust itself for disposition on a container.

If so desired, one of the mountings 2 may be provided with a handle 43 whereby to facilitate manipulating the carriage.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the distance between the inturned portions 22 of the guide means is predetermined and that the same is also true of the dis tance between the external planar surfaces of the side Walls 29 of the support whereby to obtain a stabilized pivotal and sliding connection between the support and guide means.

In view of the foregoing, it will be manifest that an individual may grasp the handle 31 and lift the same including a cover upwardly and then slide the support upwardly in the guide means 19 to a vertical position so that the abutment means 40 on the support will rest upon or engage the abutment means 26 on the guide means and thereby maintain the support and cover in a predetermined substantially fixed vertical position whereby to facilitate handling and discharge of waste into a container. The handle may be grasped to lift and swing the support and cover to a substantially horizontal position so that the cover will engage a container as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Attention is directed to the fact that the intermediate cross brace 18 serves as an abutment whereby to assist in maintaining the support and the cover carried thereby in a vertical position as evidenced in FIG- URE 1 and that the lower extremity of support has to clear this brace whenever the support and cover as a unit are shifted to either a vertical or horizontal position. The abutment means 26 and 40 are preferably of such a size that they afford sufiicient areas of contact whereby to assist in stabilizing the position of the unit in a vertical position.

It should be understood that the abutment means on the support may be designed and constructed and located where desired and that such means may be caused to engage abutment means other than those indicated at 26. For example, any suitable abutment means on a support may engage either of the braces 17 or 18 in lieu of the means 26. Also, if so desired, the handle 31 may be caused to engage the upper brace 17 in lieu of utilizing the abutment means 26 and 40.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact forms, constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described comprising an elongate channel having an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls, a member having a longitudinal portion and a pair of ends, means connecting said ends to an undersurface of said upper wall to position said longitudinal portion in spaced parallel relation with respect to said side walls so that the latter in combination with said longitudinal portion define a longitudinally extending guideway below said upper wall, a pair of planar strips respectively carried by said side walls and extending longitudinally of said channel and constituting an extension thereof for receiving a handle of a cover, means carried by said strips for connection with such a handle for supporting a cover, a handle having a longitudinal portion and ends, and means connecting said ends of said handle to an upper surface of said upper wall at a location between said guideway and said strips to position said longitudinal portion in spaced relation to said surface to facilitate grasping of said portion.

2. In combination: a mounting provided with substantially vertically disposed guide means, means extending transversely of said guide means, an elongate support provided with a longitudinally extending offset guideway pivotally and slidably receiving said transverse means, abutment means provided on said mounting at a location above said transverse means, said support being provided with means for detachably connecting a cover thereto and with abutment means, said support being movable to a vertical position in said guide means so that said abutment means on said support will rest on the abutment means of said mounting and assist in maintaining said support in a vertical position, means carried by said mounting at a location below said transverse means for engaging and holding said support in its vertical position until manually released therefrom, and said support also being movable to a substantially horizontal position so that a cover when carried thereby may be placed on a container adapted for disposition therebelow.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, in which said guide means comprises a pair of spaced vertical elongate members and said transverse means comprises a pair of lugs secured to said members and a bolt carried by the lugs for disposition in said guideway and affording detachable connection of said support with respect to said mounting.

4. The combination defined in claim 2, in which said guide means comprises a pair of spaced vertical members and the upper ends of these members constitute the abutment means provided on said mounting, and the means on said support for detachably connecting a cover thereto comprises a pair of elongate members constituting continuations of said support and bolt means carried by these members for connection with the cover and inner ends of these members constitute the abutment means on said support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,845,883 2/1932 Mandel 248-147 2,471,257 5/ 1949 Blank 248146 2,505,126 4/1950 Logan 21184 2,513,630 7/1950 Elliott 248--147 2,764,378 9/1956 Kemp 248l47 2,808,220 10/ 1957 Jones 248-429 2,818,271 12/1957 Saeli 248-129 X 2,865,590 12/1958 Greenwell 248-361 2,891,753 6/1959 Bittle 248-149 2,923,416 2/1960 Vogel 211-71 2,927,755 3/ 1960 Goforth 24-8124 2,998,218 8/1961 Elward 248--129 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner, 

1. A DEVICE OF THE KIND DESCRIBED COMPRISING AN ELONGATE CHANNEL HAVING AN UPPER WALL AND A PAIR OF DEPENDING SIDE WALLS, A MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PORTION AND A PAIR OF ENDS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID ENDS TO AN UNDERSURFACE OF SAID UPPER WALL TO POSITION SAID LONGITUDINAL PORTION IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION WITHIN RESPECT TO SAID SIDE WALLS SO THAT THE LATTER IN COMBINATION WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL PORTION DEFINE A LONGTIDUNALLY EXTENDING GUIDEWAY BELOW SAID UPPER WALL, A PAIR OF PLANAR STRIPS RESPECTIVELY CARRIED BY SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CHANNEL AND CONSTITUTING AN EXTENSION THEREOF FOR RECEIVING A HANDLE OF A COVER, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID STRIPS FOR CONNECTION WITH SUCH A HANDLE FOR SUPPORTING A COVER, A HANDLER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PORTION AND ENDS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID ENDS OF SAID HANDLE TO AN UPPER SURFACE OF SAID UPPER WALL AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID GUIDEWAY AND SAID STRIPS TO POSITION SAID LONGITUDINAL PORTION IS SPACED RELATION TO SAID SURFACE TO FACILITATE GRASPING OF SAID PORTION. 